Most Recent Modifications To Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485

The Australian government has announced various substitutes to its visa settings that can provide the required flexibility for overseas students as they are going to return to Australia. The new settings for graduate visa 485 improve measures to protect overseas students’ post-study work rights and extend their visa from two to three years for coursework for master’s graduates.

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Note: Under the graduate work stream, you can stay for at least 18 months. Due to the current pandemic, the duration is increased to 24 months; this is only applicable for visas granted from 1 December 2021. British and Hong Kong international passport holders might stay for five years.

What Are The Graduate Visa 485 Changes?

The new settings in the visas also widen existing steps for students by recognizing time spent studying inside and outside of Australia. This is done to meet the requirements to qualify for a 485 visa. Some of the changes to the policy are:

• Australia will extend the length of stay on 485 visas from two to three years for masters by coursework graduates, matching provisions for masters by graduates.
• VET graduates are also going to receive a two-year temporary graduate visa.
• Subclass 485 visa holders who could not travel to Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions can apply for a replacement visa. This can allow the present and former 485 visa holders whose visa has expired to apply for a visa again for the same duration as the original one.

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How To Get a Temporary Graduate Visa Extension?

The Department of Home Affairs can automatically apply for the visa extension, and there is no extra cost to get the extension.

What are the options available if the temporary graduate visa expired when you were outside of Australia?

If your subclass 485 visa expired when you were outside Australia, you could be eligible for the same visa again. In normal cases, graduates are entitled to a temporary graduate visa. If your visa had expired before when you were outside of Australia, you could not work on this visa anymore, even after graduation.

To ensure graduates have not been badly affected due to the current pandemic, the Australian government has announced another 485 visa stream.

Also Read: What Are The English Requirement For Graduate Visa 485?

Temporary relaxation of working hours for those who hold a student visa

Before under the student visa 500 conditions, overseas students were allowed:

• To work for about 40 hours per two weeks during the semester and even more hours during semester break.
• Family members of students studying master’s or a doctorate could work for unlimited hours once the main student visa starts its course.
• The students undergoing postgraduate research or doctorate degrees could work as much as they wanted.

To address the shortages of workers in Australia, the government announced a relaxation of working hours for student visa holders as part of the visa 485 changes. This can help remove the 40-hour work restriction on working hours while study courses are in session.

Visa application fee refunds

The Australian government will be providing an incentive to fully vaccinated student visa holders to travel back to Australia as soon as they can. If you are arriving in Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 March 2022, you can be entitled to a refund of your visa application charge up to AUD630.

How to get the visa application fee refund?

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is going to publish a form that students might need to complete to get a refund. You will need to submit several details such as your name, birth date, visa reference number, and bank account details. This will ensure the payment arrives to the right person.

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When to apply to get the visa application fee refund?

As part of the visa 485 changes, you can apply for the visa application refund till 31 December 2021. This is for both the student and working holiday visa holders who arrive in Australia from 19 January to 19 March 2022.

How much 485 Visa Processing Time is?

The processing time for a short-term 485 visa depends on different factors that include the chosen course. You need to pay the fees along with the visa application; if not, the application will be incomplete. This will increase the visa 485 processing time. For the graduate work stream, 70% of visa applications are processed within ten months, and 95% are processed in 12 months.

For the post-study work stream, 70% of the applications are processed within ten months, and 905 are processed within 11 months.

How Much does 485 Visa Cost?

For the graduate workstream, the graduate visa cost is AUD1680, and for the post-study workstream, the cost is AUD1680. The second post-study workstream costs AUD660.

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Get Sorted With a Registered Migration Agent

If you want to live in Australia for a temporary period, you need to apply for a temporary graduate visa. If you are unsure about the rules and regulations of the visa, you could contact one of the many migration agent Adelaide. They can help you with the visa application process and tell you about the recent visa changes.

There are various immigration agents Adelaide; you can search for any of them by typing ‘Immigration Agent Near Me’ and choosing a suitable agent of your choice. You could contact ISA Migrations if you wish to apply for any stream under the temporary graduate visa. They will provide you with all the required information applicable for the visa.